Dr. David W. Brown and his wife, Linda, wanted to do something to help Springfield’s homeless after the couple moved to a downtown loft and saw people on the streets with no place to go.

They started a nonprofit, The Gathering Tree, with fellow members of the East Sunshine Church of Christ. Their goal was to provide a place for companionship and understanding. But they’ve run afoul of city zoning ordinances and angered some of their neighboring businesses.

“Obviously, there is a need for this type of service, but we need to help them find another location with the appropriate zoning that won’t have a negative impact on its neighboring businesses, residents, and property owners,” Rusty Worley, the executive director of Urban Districts Alliance, wrote a city staffer in March. “It appears that we may need some motivation from the City to notify them that their use isn’t allowed with our zoning ordinances and that there are health and fire regulations they should follow.”

Brown, 74, a part-time orthopedic surgeon at CoxHealth, said he had assumed that the nonprofit’s use of the building at 213 S. Campbell Ave. was appropriate because it formerly housed Rare Breed, a nonprofit that helps homeless youths. The Gathering Tree started using that building in January.

“I’m not a businessman,” Brown said. “I thought we could move in and do what we’re doing ... I was a little ignorant of what the process is.”

Volunteers from the Browns’ church and other congregations are at The Gathering Tree every day, helping adults in need. The nonprofit is open from about 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The Gathering Tree had been providing a meal each night, but the city determined that it appears to be a soup kitchen, which isn’t permitted by its zoning. The property is zoned “center city.”

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Nancy Yendes, an assistant city attorney, said soup kitchens are allowed in that area of Springfield if they were there in 1997 and were “legally conforming.”

Brown said he plans to apply for a city permit for the building and is doing everything he can to comply with what the city wants.

Cora Scott, a city of Springfield spokeswoman, said the city is “trying to work” with The Gathering Place.

The landlord for the nonprofit, Curtis Jared, questioned why there are complaints about The Gathering Tree when it is providing many of the same services as Rare Breed did, except for adults.

“It’s an adult version of Rare Breed,” Jared said. “I don’t know if it’s as warm and fuzzy as Rare Breed was. At the end of the day, people probably don’t want to have those organizations downtown.”

Rorie Orgeron, the chief executive officer of The Kitchen, said that nonprofit didn’t hear any zoning complaints about the Rare Breed, which is part of The Kitchen.

“I had people complaining about kids leaving trash on the ground, but we never had any zoning issues,” Orgeron said.

Worley wrote in his email to the city that he was trying “to encourage them (The Gathering Tree) to relocate” to the Vineyard Church just west of Main Avenue.

Worley told the News-Leader that he wanted to make sure the city was aware of how the organization has grown.

“I think there’s a lot of well-meaning folks who want to help others, but it’s grown from the occasional Good Samaritan to something that’s an active organization several times a week,” Worley said.

The nonprofit’s Facebook page has posts mentioning feeding more than 100 people. The zoning for the building limits it to 50 people at once.

Craig Wagoner, a Springfield developer, said The Gathering Tree needs to follow the current zoning.

“They can’t serve food or have over 50 people,” Wagoner said.

City staffers visited The Gathering Tree earlier this month and determined the nonprofit needs to make some improvements, such as providing signs for the bathrooms, installing fire extinguishers and providing a bottled water dispenser or water fountain.

Brown said The Gathering Tree is no longer serving full meals. He said the nonprofit may become a church, which would allow it to serve meals after services.

Brown said he and his wife pay most of the monthly expenses for the nonprofit, about $3,000 to $3,500.

“One of the biggest compliments is that someone comes off the street and sits on the couch and sleeps for an hour or two,” he said.

Want to donate?

Contributions can be sent to The Gathering Tree, c/o David Brown, 401 South Ave., #304, Springfield, MO 65806 For more information, call Brown at 417-861-7612